What is your work image?

[Charlene1]

Dp says I have had problems with people at work recently, and most of my life, because of my "image" ie jewellery/hair/clothes/shoes. Says it makes me look too different. Since starting work at 16, I have had blonde/brown/orange hair and various shades as it grows out/fades. I have my ears pierced 4 times on each side and have always worn very tiny studs since age 14. You can't see them with my hair down. Previously worked for a supermarket and had to take out earrings and had to have a ponytail and uniform. I looked like everyone else, but had problems with boss. Various other jobs - some with problems with colleagues, but that was more down to being young and not knowing office politics, some jobs - great environment and wore what I liked! Have been a manager twice, worn suits etc. I feel more confident and professional in a suit, never had a problem with my earrings/hairdos/clothes etc. Current job - I can't wear a suit as would be "overdressed". I wear black trousers and a plain sleeveless/long sleeve top/thin jumper/plain fleecey jumper if cold/"sensible shoes" as I'm on my feet all time. Colleagues all wear trousers, flat shoes, patterned jumpers/blouses/cardigans etc. Boss wears skirt suit, manager wears tshirt, combats, doc marten boots.
Just dyed hair back from "blonde growing out highlights" to light brown today and will go darker as soon as I can get some perm stuff, as I have applied for a civil service job and dp reckons I won't stand a chance in that environment if I don't appear more "conservative". says its too late for my current job - the problems have already started.
I don't think my appearance is the reason, I think it's because I am too eager to be liked or something, that I get walked on.
What does everyone else wear for work? Is it the same every day, dress up for meetings, down on Fridays, change your appearance for interviews etc?? Does it make a difference if you have problems/how people treat you at work?
Do you fit in with people already there or wear what you like?

Bumping for you

Where do you work and what do you do?

I work for an event management company. If out on conference we wear our uniform either a black trouser suit if high end delegates or black trousers and pole shirt with the logo of the compeny we are working for embroidered on it.

When in the office we have a smart dress code but no one wears suits. I normally wear smart trousers and tops or shirts of skirt and tights with knee high boots. Occassionally if wanting to impress I'll wear pencil skirt with killer heels and crisp white shirt.

I was a goth when I was a civil servant in the MOD. Obviously toned it down at work, but I had piercings, and black hair - wore black skirts/tights/dm shoes with purple satin shirts and silver jewellery. However, I have worked other places where I've had to be far more conservative (supermarket as well strangely enough)

Where I work now we have a uniform, but hair/jewellery etc is not regulated - one of our managers has facial piercings and full sleeve tattoos. It's not her image that's important here, it's how well she does her job. This is the most comfortable place I've worked for.

I don't know what the answer is tbh, I think with the CS interview you have to balance 'conservatism' with being comfortable in yourself. How can you do a good interview if you are uncomfortable with the persona you are presenting? You need to find a compromise, but tbh nothing that you've said sounds particulary ('scuse crap spelling) OTT. Good luck btw

I work in a school, as part of "office staff".

Fit in with people already there - smart trousers plus jumper or t shirt or sometimes shirt. If making presentation to Directors I put a posh suit on.
I work in local Government - there are lots of people with tattoes, multiple piercings and highlights/bleached hair.

not sure how much help this is but here goes. when I take on young female staff one of the things I tell them is that they have a disadvantage because women judge on what people wear and men have a slightly more... visceral,... reaction. The best thing to do to avoid being judged on what you wear is to make it invisible - so black trouser suits, white shirts/t-shirts, black heels are completely inoffensive and therefore unnoticeable. Means that their clients listen to them rather than thinking "ooh I don't like that top with those trousers/what does she look like/I've got that jumper hope it looks better on me/phwoar" etc. This matters to me because we're a consultancy - its our brains we sell.

Once you're established in a job/career then it really doesn't matter (although note to my colleague zebra print leggings are only appropriate for those under 20, not for matronly county women in their 50s)

Civil Service is pretty relaxed about dress codes. Obviously, wear fairly conventional stuff for an interview but after that, check out what the others wear and adapt for yourself.

lol at the zebra print leggings!!

I work in an office for a media company, everyone wears whatever they want, some people dress in suits, some in jeans and trainers, certainly in the company I work for it doesn't matter what you wear.

I definitely dress to fit in & I'm embarrassed to admit that I used a book called 'Branding Yourself' to establish what image I wanted to put forward at work and how to do it. Today I'm wearing designer jeans, customised one-off trainers, two bright tops layered, hair in a messy knot. That's fine for a day like today with no clients coming in. For meetings I wear heels or ballet pumps, and a skirt with a fitted jacket (NOT suit). I don't have any piercings (not even ears), I do wear jewellery but it tends to be quite subtle. I must admit when I interview people I do take note of what they're wearing and whether they look like they'd 'fit'. But also whether they look like they've taken the time to clean their shoes and file their nails etc. - it shows that they care about the interview. And the one time I disregarded my sartorial prejudices because the candidate seemed so well qualified she ended up being a total disaster & I fired her after 3 weeks. Lesson learned...